Version 1.2.1
- Fixed the menu bar icon opening an empty panel with no information (seen in 1.2.0 on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs).
- Google Chrome running as several instances now shows as one row, with its memory counted once.
8GB Vibe RAM assistant for 8 GB Macs
An 8 GB Mac that knows when to ease off.
100% free. Notarized by Apple. Sends no data to BEECA.
See which apps hold your RAM. Get suggestions to ease the load. You choose and confirm before anything closes.
Free download for macOSVersion 1.2.1 · 9 November 2026 · DMG 7.2 MB
macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel
8 GB of RAM, a lot of agents
9-10 GB of swap, more than the Mac’s real RAM
- about 144 load average, on a Mac with 8 cores
- about 98% disk full, 12 GB left
- about 10 GB for the Claude app, its VM and the Claude Code sessions alone
- Measured on a real Mac on 3 November 2026.
8GB Vibe started on a MacBook Air M2 with 8 GB of RAM. It ran many Claude Code sessions, Xcode, Gradle and Docker at once. One morning it barely responded to a click.
Freeing about 17 GB of disk did not help. The estimated memory demand of everything open was about 15-16 GB on an 8 GB Mac. When measured again, macOS was relying heavily on compressed memory and swap. There were 16 Claude Code sessions at about 200-300 MB each; 14 had been open for 22-42 hours with little CPU use. This is one Mac under a heavy workload, not a typical load for every 8 GB Mac.
What is holding your Mac’s RAM
Processes are grouped by the work they do. Click a row to see how to check it and ease the load. Example from a MacBook Air M2 with 8 GB on 9 November 2026: the memory of the processes that could be read, plus the RAM macOS keeps locked (wired), is estimated at about 26.1 GB; this is not the amount of physical RAM in use.
Claude Code and the VM are parts of the Claude group and are not added on top of its 14.0 GB. The values and states below are an example at the time of capture. 100% CPU is about one core, so many processes together can exceed 100%.
Claude14.0 GB77% CPU98 processesProtected
The Claude app, its VM and 31 Claude Code sessions. The Claude app and Claude Code sessions are protected and cannot be closed directly from 8GB Vibe. The rows below are details of this group.
Claude Code · 31 sessions6.8 GB35% CPUabout 220 MB per sessionWaiting 30 min
8GB Vibe never ends a session on its own. The AI Agents page shows how long a session has had little CPU activity; it may still be waiting for a reply. Check it and end it in the Terminal or app where you started it.
Claude VM3.6 GB1% CPU1 large processUp 2 days 14 hours
The Cowork VM of the Claude app. If no work there needs to stay open, you can quit Claude yourself (Cmd+Q) to free resources. Save your work first; quitting can interrupt work inside Claude.
IDEs, other AI3.0 GB17% CPU49 processesSee Free RAM
Cursor, Antigravity and other AI tools. Free RAM suggests items that have been quiet for the set time, use 200 MB or more and are not on your Keep list. The default is 30 minutes; you always confirm before anything closes.
System2.7 GB113% CPU232 processesProtected
macOS processes and system tools. The app blocks stopping protected processes; this is not a group to close in bulk to free RAM.
Chat, meetings1.5 GB10% CPU13 processesCan quit
Zalo, Slack, Zoom... Quit only when no call, task or unsaved data needs them. You choose the app and confirm before it closes.
Browsers1.3 GB30% CPU21 processesCan quit
Browsers run many processes for tabs, extensions and services. 8GB Vibe shows resources per process and cannot yet name each tab. Use the browser’s own task manager for details, if it has one.
Docker386 MB1% CPU9 processesCan quit
Docker Desktop can use RAM even with no containers running. Quit it only when you do not need Docker; running containers may stop.
Cloud sync235 MB2% CPU7 processesLight
iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox. 235 MB in this example; use can rise while syncing. Check progress before you pause or quit them.
One app, many views
Version 1.2.0 brings a new interface: one line of advice at the top, a ⌘K command palette, a Mac page, a Notifications page, tabbed Settings, Light and Dark modes and an accent color.
⌘K command palette Type a few letters to open a page or run a command.
Agents check the Mac before heavy jobs
machine_statuscan_startAsk first
MCP is how an AI client calls 8GB Vibe’s tools. Once configured, an agent that chooses to call them can read RAM, swap and the heavy jobs already running, and get advice before a big build or test run.
acquire_slotrenew_slotone heavy-job turn, with a time limit
Ask for a turn
The agent registers and asks for a turn before a heavy job. This helps participating agents avoid running on top of each other; it cannot stop agents or tasks that skip the turn.
release_slotpost_messagehand the turn back when done, leave a note for other agents
Hand back the turn
When the job is done, the agent hands the turn to the next one. A long job needs to renew its turn. Holding a turn does not guarantee enough RAM; the MCP tools only read state and coordinate, and never stop processes or clean up data.
Go to Settings → AI Agents to add the MCP server to the clients found on your Mac. The app asks for confirmation, then uses the client’s own command or edits its config directly. Existing files it edits directly are backed up, and you can remove the connection later. You may need to restart the client. Or run this command for Claude Code if 8GB Vibe is in /Applications:
claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user 8gbvibe -- "/Applications/8GB Vibe.app/Contents/Helpers/8gbvibe-mcp"Add the MCP server to the agents you use
Claude Code
Codex
Claude Desktop
Antigravity
Cursor
Gemini CLI
Always asks first
It never closes apps or cleans up data on its own. Every app closed or process stopped from the interface is your choice, confirmed by you. The Disk page only measures space and has no delete button.
Processed on your Mac
The app makes no Internet connections of its own and sends no data to BEECA. No account is needed. It keeps its log and measurements locally. To group processes, it reads the names and command-line arguments of some processes, on your Mac only. If you connect MCP, the AI client you choose can receive the Mac’s state and project names.
Signed and notarized
The download is signed with a Developer ID and has passed Apple’s automated security check. This is not a quality review or a guarantee that the app has no bugs.
Built-in guards
Finder, the Dock, the Claude app and 8GB Vibe itself cannot be quit from it. It checks a process’s identity before every stop.
Honest warnings
Measurements and estimates are kept apart. Sleep and wake events keep time asleep from being read as a stall from overload. The health score is a guide, not a speed benchmark.
Download 8GB Vibe for macOS
A universal DMG for Macs with Apple silicon or Intel, running macOS 13 or later. Free, no account needed.
Free download for macOSInstall in a few steps
Open the DMG
Double-click the 8GB-Vibe file in your Downloads folder.
Drag it to Applications
Drag the 8GB Vibe icon onto the Applications folder.
Open the app
A ring icon appears in the menu bar, at the top right of the screen.
If you can’t see the icon
Open 8GB Vibe from Applications. A full menu bar or the notch can hide the icon: remove items you do not need. On macOS versions with System Settings → Menu Bar, check that 8GB Vibe is allowed to show.
- Version
- 1.2.1
- Released
- 9 November 2026
- Size
- 7.2 MB (DMG)
- Requires
- macOS 13 Ventura or later
- Processor
- Apple silicon and Intel (universal)
- Languages
- English, Vietnamese
- Price
- 100% free
- Security
- Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple
- Made by
- BEECA
- SHA-256
-
c5d6ea4c216e50611c4c59f5000ecd5b4c31becf23bd8c1146d7d65c6f6008c3How to check the file
Open Terminal, run the command below and compare the result with the checksum above:
shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/8GB-Vibe-1.2.1.dmg
What’s new
Version 1.2.0
- MCP server for AI agents: agents can read the Mac’s state, ask before heavy jobs and request a turn to avoid running on top of each other. The agent has to call the tools; nothing running is stopped.
- Adds or removes the MCP server for Claude Code, Codex, Claude Desktop, Antigravity, Cursor and Gemini CLI when found on the Mac. It asks first, and existing files it edits directly are backed up.
- New interface: one-line advice, a ⌘K command palette, Notifications and Mac pages, tabbed Settings, Light/Dark and an accent color.
- Uses sleep and wake events to cut false alerts while the Mac sleeps. The "Swap is very heavy" warning shows its measurements and does not predict a freeze.
- RAM figures after freeing memory separate the estimate from the measurement. Detects Codex running inside ChatGPT.
Version 1.1.1
- A card that estimates room for another agent session, with three states, always labeled as an estimate.
- Measures swap read/write rates and detects heavy jobs in progress.
- The health score is now based on swap read/write rates.
- Interface polish: a Stop button on each Dev Servers row, a bottom bar on the Processes page, neutral-colored quit buttons.
Version 1.1.0
- AI Agents page: tools grouped as command-line agents, AI apps and AI IDEs; each command-line agent session shown, with an estimate of room for a new one.
- MCP servers per session and their RAM; a warning when one MCP server runs several copies.
- Recognizes Antigravity CLI (agy); the Claude app’s Cowork VM is shown on its own.
- Suggestions when an agent session keeps growing in RAM (nothing is closed automatically).
- Dev Servers page: port, project, type, who started it, RAM; open in a browser or stop with confirmation.
- Orphaned processes show where they came from and can be stopped together.
- Checks a process’s identity before every stop; system apps and Claude Code sessions are protected everywhere.
- English added, with a language choice in Settings. New emerald icon.
Version 1.0.0
- First release.
- Menu bar icon and popover: RAM, swap, free disk, a one-hour swap chart and the apps using the most RAM.
- A health score from 0 to 100, with a one-line explanation.
- Overview, Memory (RAM budget, grouped by work), Processes, Disk and Background Items pages.
- Free RAM with a confirmation dialog, protected system apps and a log of every quit.
- "Mac is slowing down" and low-disk warnings, with adjustable thresholds.
- Universal build for Apple silicon and Intel, Developer ID signed and notarized.
FAQ
Is 8GB Vibe really free?
Yes. It is 100% free, with no ads, no paid tier and no account.
Does the app collect my data?
The app reads and processes data on your Mac and keeps its log and measurements locally. It makes no Internet connections of its own and sends no data to BEECA. To group processes, it reads the names and command-line arguments of some processes, on your Mac only. The MCP server uses stdio and opens no network port. When you connect MCP, the AI client can receive the Mac’s state and project names; whether that client sends data to its AI provider depends on its own settings and policy.
Does the app or the MCP server close anything on its own?
The app makes suggestions for you to review and always asks for confirmation before closing an app or stopping a process. The MCP tools only read state and coordinate. The app will not stop a Claude Code session directly; closing the Terminal or app that holds it can still interrupt the work inside.
How accurate are the numbers?
RAM, swap, CPU and disk figures are read from macOS at intervals; not every process can be read. The RAM budget, room for a new session and the RAM of an item you plan to close are estimates. After closing, the app measures RAM and swap again; the result can include other activity. Low CPU activity does not mean a session is finished.
What is swap?
Swap is space on the disk that macOS uses to move data out of RAM. Heavy swap reads and writes can slow the Mac down; a large swap size on its own does not prove the Mac is short on RAM. 8GB Vibe helps you watch this and choose what to ease off; it does not add physical RAM.
My Mac has 16 GB. Do I need it?
The app is aimed at Macs with little RAM and works on 16 GB and up. It picks thresholds for your configuration; the 16 GB and 24 GB-plus profiles are still experimental. A lot of swap in use is not enough to conclude RAM is short: also look at memory pressure and swap read/write rates.
Does it run on Intel Macs?
Yes. The download is universal and runs on Apple silicon and Intel, on macOS 13 or later. The interface is in English and Vietnamese.
I can’t see the menu bar icon.
First, open 8GB Vibe from Applications. If the menu bar is full or the notch covers the icon, remove items you do not need to make room. On macOS versions with System Settings → Menu Bar, check that 8GB Vibe is allowed to show. Not every macOS version has this setting.
How do I update or uninstall it?
To update, download the new DMG here, quit the old app, drag the new one to Applications and choose Replace. To uninstall, quit the app and delete 8GB Vibe from Applications; its log and local data remain in ~/Library/Application Support/8GB Vibe. If you installed the MCP server, remove it first in Settings, AI Agents tab.